Rotary H.O.P.E. Initiative

The Rotary Club of Belmopan in collaboration with Louisville Rotarians, Bellarmine University, the Rotaract Club of Belmopan and students of the University of Belize have initiated a pilot project microcredit lending program.

Modeled after the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winning Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the Rotary H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Everywhere) Initiative hopes to provide small loans to start businesses in Belize to those who would not normally have access to credit.  This project is strictly volunteer based which will allow the Rotary H.O.P.E. Initiative to offer low interest rates.  The goal of this initiative is to increase the quality of life for the recipients and help them receive daily necessities.

One important aspect of this program is locating qualified people to award small loans to start businesses with sufficent promise.  The process of doing this will become more defined over time but we have already started working with many organizations in Belize that have contacts in communities where a program like this is likely to be successful.  We plan to award the first loan by July and the program will grow from there based on capacity of the project to handle new recepients.

Training is also an important part of this program since it will increase the likelihood any businesses started with microloans will be successful.  The Rotary Club of Belmopan, Rotaract Clubs of Belize, and the University of Belize students will work in collaboration with loan recipients to offer training, support, and education throughout the loan process.

Finally, this whole process would not be possible with the financial and on ground experience of the Louisville Rotarians and the students/staff of Bellarmine University.  They are not only providing the initial seed money for this effort but also have over 10 years of experience working in the country of Belize on development projects.